Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-11-04
DAKOTA NEWS.

winter.
There is not saloon in Campbell
county.
Grant county's new jai. is nearly
ready for inmates.
= Bishop Fowler presided at the Metho-
Gist conference at Aberdeen.
The temperance people are making a
great effort to carry Jamestown.
Fred A. Bartlett, prominent young
business man Of Carey, is dead.
The Pierre Free Press has got n
$1,000 press. 1t is TO be run by water
power.
Huron claims to have two systems of
electric lights, besides gas, kerosene and
matches.
Abe Bradley was robbed Of S25 the
other night on the bridge from Fargo to
Nloorhead.
Reports from Pierre are to the effect
that the vote on local option will be exceed
ingly close.
jamestown has won in the contest 10
be the see city of the Catholic diocese of
North Dakota.
An effort is being made to organize
stock company ut Aberdeen to build and
equip creamery.
Carson, Palisade and Sherman will
be stations on the Manitoba in Mimi ehaha
county-new towns.
During q year past Rev. John G.
Palmer, of Aberdeen, has officiated ut
twenty three weddings and received S115
in fees.
"A force Of graders have commenced
work five miles north of Grafton. They
are thought to be in the employee of the
Manitoba.
The president Of the w. c. T. U. of
Dakota had appointed Tuesday, Novem-
Der 1, as ga day of prayer for Gods
blessing upon the efforts to carry the
counties of Dakota for God and home"
She also asks the pastors Of churches
to offer special prayer November for the
success Of prohibition.
---Torken Nelson, a Norwegian about
30 years of age, single man, formerly
from Walcott. d. T., who has been in the
employ of Randolph Holding, of Ransom
City, all summer, was g ven bottle by
Holdings son purporting to contain whis-
ky, OF which he drank small portion,
and in few hours died. 1t was after
wards discovered to b. bottle of horse
medicine.
The thirty days notice of the revoca-
ton of the order Withdrawing the Northern
Pacific indemnity lands from settlement
has expired, and all lands in the Bismarck
and Fargo districts are subject to filing.
The Pioneer Press is authority for the
statement that the Northern Pacific COM
pany will contest in the courts every case
in which claims are filed on the lands, and
that Counsel Mcknight has prepared a
brief on the case. He has applied to Judge
Nelson, sitting for Judge Brewer of the
United States circuit courts, for Tempo
rary injunction restraining all parties from
filing claims on the company's selected
lands. Lists of these selections were filed
with the registers and receivers of the local
land offices, but were never accepted by
the government. In 1871 Commissioner
Drummond ruled that there was a second
indemnity belt, and until the present
time this has never been questioned. I'm
der Secretary Lamar's ruling, the title to
these lands is now called into question;
but the Northern Pacific authorities are
end. 1t is claimed that if the company
should lose the suits under the Spooner
law, the purchasers from the company
would have the first opportunity to buy the
land from the government at $1.25 per
acre. But Mr.. Mcknight thinks that after
the practical acceptance of the order of
1871 for fifteen years, by both the rail-
road and the public, it cannot be brought
in question; and he states that the thou.
sands Of settlers who have purchased lands
Of the road will be protected by the COM
pany, in the courts, in the full extent of
its power.
The following letter forwarded to Com
missioner Sparks, will be read with interest
by all Dakota people, whether they are in
sympathy with the sentiment or not:
SCOTLAND, D. T., Oct. 81, 1887. To A.
J.Sparks, Sir:-It makes one feel like
making the air blue with blasphemy to
read what you said to the people of this
country on the 18th inst. You are Il liar
beyond all computation of the word, when
you say ''the honest settlers of the territory
are with you" BY your ridiculous re-
quirements, and 6, neral holding up of all
land proofs, you have devised new means
for new class of land sharks to p under
our people. Before you were appointed
commissioner settlers had only 10 pay lind
agents for getting up their atiidavits and
papers, between the time of filing and
making proof; then their trouble was over.
Now they have to pay extravagant fees of
all kidns, to the new class you have ere
ated, 10th here and at Washington; from
the time proof is made in Dakota till the
patent is issued at the national capital. In
many cases and for trivial causes you de-
mand new proofs, and pay no attention to
appeals from any one, say we are all I'M
worthy Of belief, and when your demands
are not promptly complied with, you can
Gel our lands by a dictatorial letter, mark
ed X. or B., which reads like an ultima
tum from Johnny Bull to the Turks. Let
tiers like the enclosed 60 to you from Da-